US deploys 176-aircraft armada, decoy ops to rescue F-15E crew

An “air armada”, covert intelligence tools and a sweeping deception campaign were deployed to rescue a two-member crew of a downed F-15E Strike Eagle deep inside Iran, US President Donald Trump and senior defence officials revealed.

The high-risk mission, spanning nearly two days, involved around 176 aircraft and hundreds of personnel, according to Joint Chiefs Chairman Dan Caine, who described both extractions as “incredibly dangerous”.

The pilot, identified by the call sign Dude 44 Alpha, was recovered within hours of the jet going down. US Defence Secretary Pete Hegseth said American forces maintained air dominance throughout the operation, flying for hours over Iranian territory without interception.

The second crew member — a weapons systems officer (WSO) known as Dude 44 Bravo — was rescued nearly two days later after an intensive search across rugged mountainous terrain.

Hunt in hostile skies

Trump said helicopters, fighter jets and refuelling aircraft penetrated deep into Iranian airspace, flying low for extended periods and at times facing heavy enemy fire. He dismissed the shootdown of the aircraft as a “lucky hit”.

According to Gen Caine, the operation involved platforms ranging from A-10 Warthogs and HH-60 Jolly Green II rescue helicopters to HC-130 Combat King II refuelling aircraft, along with drones and other unmanned systems. Some aircraft reportedly sustained damage during the mission.

‘We have him’

The search for the WSO became a test of precision and endurance. Injured and bleeding, the airman moved away from the crash site, navigated difficult terrain and activated a locator device.

John Ratcliffe said the Central Intelligence Agency deployed advanced technologies alongside a deception effort to mislead Iranian forces searching for the downed crew member, likening the task to finding “a grain of sand in a desert”.

The breakthrough came when surveillance detected faint movement in mountainous terrain. After tracking it for 45 minutes, officials confirmed it was the missing airman. “We have him,” Trump recalled.

Decoys and destruction

The extraction relied heavily on misdirection. Trump said 155 aircraft were used in the second rescue alone, with multiple potential landing zones created to confuse adversaries.

Cargo planes transported small helicopters into the area, assembling them near the hideout. However, the aircraft — weighed down by personnel and equipment — were unable to take off from sandy terrain.

After the rescued officer and team were evacuated using lighter aircraft, remaining equipment was destroyed to prevent capture. Reports indicated this included two MC-130J transport planes, each valued at roughly $100 million.

‘True grit’

Gen Caine praised both crew members for evading capture under extreme conditions.

“The courage demonstrated by both the pilot and the weapons systems officer… cannot be overstated,” he said.

Calling it a historic mission, Trump said US forces “descended on the area, engaged the enemy, rescued the stranded officer, destroyed all threats and exited Iranian territory.”